Agent Enzo Raiola has claimed that Gianluigi Donnarumma is the best goalkeeper in the world and that AC Milan did not upgrade on him by signing Mike Maignan.
Donnarumma’s exit in the summer of 2021 left a sour taste in the mouths of many as he departed the club where he came through to academy to join Paris Saint-Germain and on a free transfer too, meaning Milan did not receive a fee.
Maignan arrived that summer from Lille to replace Donnarumma and he was named the goalkeeper of the season by Serie A in his first campaign with the club, which would of course end with a Scudetto win.
Raiola was a guest on the DAZN programme ‘Croquetas’ and he spoke about players whose interests he looks after. He started by explaining what happened with Donnarumma, and refuted the notion that Milan are now better for letting him go.
“The owners didn’t want to wait, they made a choice like we made ours. Maignan is doing very, very well and is also a starter in the French national team. A goalkeeper who has really done something as a first impression in Italy important,” he said (via Calciomercato.com).
“But today I wouldn’t say that there was an upgrade at Milan compared to Donnarumma… I don’t want to exaggerate but I think Gigio is not really comparable at the moment: he is the best goalkeeper in the world, all the goalkeeping coaches he has had say the same.
“For them, Gigio is a talent beyond any reach. When he was 17, Real Madrid wanted him, he saw the Los Blancos’ trophy room and said no for Milan.”
Raiola also spoke about Bennacer, who renewed his contract with Milan last year amid rumours of interest from various top European clubs. He has recently returning after a long injury lay-off due to a knee operation.
“We had the same recovery experience with Bonaventura, at an older age, Ismael was exceptional. We work a lot with young people, as do Donnarumma and Pellegrini from Lazio.
“The renewal with Milan was done a few months after we started working together. Bennacer could have already been interesting for the big clubs already in the last transfer market.”
